Heads-up: What's new this week

A look ahead to Friday's new releases.

Welcome to Heads-up, our weekly feature which gives you an at-a-glance run-down on the games you'll be able to buy or rent this weekend. Every Tuesday we'll pick out the best of the bunch, link to our reviews and previews and keep you in the video game loop so you have enough time to pre-order for Friday's post. Time to splash the cash.

Recommended

Could we have 2010's Game of the Year in January? Quite possibly. Mass Effect 2 is a masterpiece, and famed developer BioWare's best game. The dark second chapter is mentioned in the same breath as Star Wars fan favourite The Empire Strikes Back, but really it's more like JJ Abrams' superb Star Trek (it's the lens flare, you see). Sophisticated, stunning and sexy, Mass Effect 2 is as good as shooter/RPG hybrids get. To recommend it is the understatement of the year.

It's not quite Street Fighter 4 on Wii, but it's almost as good. For many, the word Tatsunoko makes as much sense as a Japanese assault course, but for those in the know, for those who count Ken the Eagle and Jun the Swan and Joe the Condor as some of the greatest characters of all time, Tatsunoko vs Capcom Ultimate All Stars is even more exciting a release than Capcom's masterpiece.

Worth a look

MAG's like Marmite - some will love its 256-player online shooting, while others will despise it. Why? Well, it's hardcore. You die a lot. And you spend a lot of time waiting to spawn after dying. But, on the other hand, when MAG's good, it's great, and makes you feel like you're making a real difference, despite being one in 256. Ambitious, certainly flawed, but often fun.

Can't believe they missed out Forklift Truck Simulator for PC. Replete with 3 vehicles, 6 missions and even a driving license training mode, it's the industrial Gran Turismo for 2010.

Taking into account First Class Simulations track record of hits like "Great Western - London to Swindon" and their critically acclaimed "Farringdon Extension Add-On" for Microsoft Train Simulator, if anything's 'One To Watch' this should be it.